National polls indicate that Rudy Giuliani still leads the Republican pack. Even conservatives reluctantly have to admit that a plumber, after all, is better than the handyman who doesn’t want to come to your home, doesn’t initially have the right address and doesn’t know what to do when he finally gets there. Thompson will turn out to be the summer fling of 2007.

Yet, as disappointing as is Thompson, there is hope on the horizon for conservatives; there is a dark horse on the march--one whose mane gleams a little brighter every day, and one who, as he gallops forward from the sunny horizon, has a gleam that goes from black to sheer white. The contrast between Thompson and Huckabee could not be greater. When Huckabee spoke at the very same venue, the crowd was mesmerized and moved. He is full of energy and zeal; eager to improve an America he clearly loves.

Mike Huckabee, the former Baptist preacher and two-term governorof Arkansas, has all of the skills, attributes and credentials conservatives have been looking for. He is an avid and uncompromising proponent of life. His brave, passionate speeches against abortion have been amongst the most stirring of the campaign so far. He opposes same-sex marriage and civil unions; he supports teaching creationism in public schools. He is not packaged, stiff and artificial: he speaks with the depth of conviction of a man who has a spiritual life. He is, in essence, an authentic Christian.